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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The gap is staggering: 68 points separate #1 Spokane (index 101) from #8 Bellevue (index 169) within Washington. That spread means your housing, groceries, and daily expenses can cost 40% more depending on which city you choose. Here are all 8 cities, ranked with 2026 data.
#1 Ranked: Spokane — cost index 101, rent $1,456/mo, income $65,745
$1,126/mo rent gap across the ranking
4 of 8 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The gap is staggering: 68 points separate #1 Spokane (index 101) from #8 Bellevue (index 169) within Washington. That spread means your housing, groceries, and daily expenses can cost 40% more depending on which city you choose. Here are all 8 cities, ranked with 2026 data.
Dive into Spokane's numbers: cost index 101 (11 points below national average), rent $1,456/month, income $65,745, and a home price of $389,884. That alone makes it worth considering. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 93, while Healthcare runs 104. With 229,447 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
The housing sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 153 (the top-10 average here) means housing costs are about -53% below the national median. You get the picture. Spokane leads at 103, followed by Spokane Valley (107) and Tacoma (126). Note: a low housing index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
That's not nothing.
The way we see it, What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
Rent ranges from $1,456/mo in Spokane to $2,582/mo in Bellevue — a monthly difference of $1,126, or $13,512 per year.
Spokane (index 101) and Bellevue (index 169) sit 68 points apart on the cost index — proof that Washington is far from monolithic in affordability.
229,447 residents · Washington
Why Spokane ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 101 on the cost index, residents save roughly 11% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,456/month while the median household pulls in $65,745/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 93, though Healthcare (104) lags behind. Home prices average $389,884 — $77,486 below the national median. No gimmicks — just good numbers.
108,235 residents · Washington
A closer look at Spokane Valley: the cost index of 103 breaks down to a Utilities index of 94 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 107 (weakest). Median rent is $1,509/month — 20% below the national median — while household income sits at $70,722, meaning locals spend about 26% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
222,906 residents · Washington
In plain English: a closer look at Tacoma: the cost index of 110 breaks down to a Utilities index of 102 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 126 (weakest). Median rent is $1,755/month — 7% below the national median — while household income sits at $83,857, meaning locals spend about 25% of income on rent. That tracks. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
196,442 residents · Washington
So, Vancouver. Cost index of 111, rent at $1,769/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $78,156, which is below the national median. You get the picture (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
111,180 residents · Washington
Everett comes in at #5. Rent is $1,918 a month. Household income is $81,502. The cost of living index is 120. That tracks. An outlier in the best sense.
Spokane ranks #1 in Washington for this analysis with a cost index of 101 and median income of $65,745.
Spokane, WA has the lowest housing index at 103, compared to the national average of 100.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Spokane (ranked #1) has a cost index of 101 and rent of $1,456/mo, while Bellevue (ranked #8) has a cost index of 169 and rent of $2,582/mo — a 68-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Spokane is $1,456/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $439 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Spokane is $389,884, which is 5.9× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Washington has a 0% state income tax rate — one of the states with no income tax. Combined state and local sales tax averages 10.6%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.84%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.